The exhibition at The State Hermitage Museum showcases 212 shoes and 80 original drawings, which are part of Blahnik’s extensive archive. (In total, the designer has crafted more than 30,000 pairs of shoes.)

The designer, who first launched the retrospective in Milan earlier this year, worked with guest curator Cristina Carrillo de Albornoz for the St. Petersburg showcase. Tatiana Baboshina, curator of Western European Applied Arts at The Hermitage, was another partner on the project.

“Manolo Blahnik: The Art of Shoes,” at The State Hermitage Museum St. Petersburg, Russia, features 212 shoes and 80 original drawings from the Blahnik archive.

CREDIT: Courtesy of Manolo Blahnik.

The exhibition will take place in the newly reconstructed spaces of the Hermitage Museum, at the General Staff Building.

“[The museum] and Catherine the Great have been sources of constant inspiration for me and it is an honor to have my work shown at this magnificent [place],” Blahnik said in statement.

“Manolo Blahnik: The Art of Shoes,” at The State Hermitage Museum St. Petersburg, Russia, features 212 shoes and 80 original drawings from the Blahnik archive.

CREDIT: Courtesy of Manolo Blahnik.

After St. Petersburg, Blahnik’s exhibit travels to Prague, Madrid and Toronto.

“Manolo Blahnik: The Art of Shoes,” at The State Hermitage Museum St. Petersburg, Russia, features 212 shoes and 80 original drawings from the Blahnik archive.